Literary Reputations
A Celebration of Muriel Spark
With Jackie Kay, Alan Taylor & Louise Welsh
Muriel Spark chronicled human interaction with a scalpel and razor-sharp insight. Her writing examines the aspects of our lives we try to hide, the effect stories have on the way we live, and the impact of religion, following her own conversion to Catholicism. To celebrate the centenary of Muriel’s birth, three writers discuss what made her one of Scotland’s greatest novelists and short story writers. They will also treat us to readings of some of their favourite Spark extracts. Alan Taylor was Muriel’s friend, and is the author of the biography Appointment in Arezzo. Poet and novelist Jackie Kay has written the introduction to The Finishing School, and novelist Louise Welsh has written the introduction to Aiding and Abetting.
Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing.